Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang awards the Dialogue Among Cultures Award 2014 to Foundation Chairman, Professor Nasser David Khalili

During the Euro-Mediterranean meeting of the Aladdin Project which took place at the French National Assembly on 12 June, 2014, the former Culture Minister Jack Lang awarded the Aladdin Award for Dialogue Among Cultures to Professor Nasser David Khalili.

The chairman of the Maimonides Interfaith Foundation, and principal contributor to the exhibition ‘Hajj, le pèlerinage à la Mecque’ which is currently taking place at the Arabic World Institute, in Paris, was recognised for his efforts in creating dialogue between cultures and religions, alongside his contribution to bringing harmony, peace and respect.

Former French Culture Minister Jack Lang expressed his happiness to reward a ‘deeply humanist’ man of culture and science, without who the major exhibition about the Hajj taking place in the Arab World Institute in Paris would never have taken place. Mr. Lang praised Pr. Khalili’s determination of carry dialogue between cultures and religions and to improve the mutual knowledge of people from different cultures.

‘You indicate to all of those who are here this evening that culture is also a path, even one of the greatest paths toward the love for the others, toward the dialogue which you call for’, said the former Culture Minister to Professor Khalili.

In his word of thanks, Nasser David Khalili called the audience to continue ‘building bridges around cultures’, saying ‘it is a mutual bridge, you cannot label it: you can only appreciate it’.